About a third of the savings identified by a private analyst looking for ways to cut down costs in state government are tied to changes to health insurance used by about 230,000 state workers, retirees and their families.

Susan West, head of the state Office of Group Benefits, told The Advocate that the $1 billion savings figure over the next five years should not alarm members. She said savings won't harm their access to health care.

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But policy changes could include preauthorization for hospital stays and imaging, as well as a priority on generic drugs. The savings are also keyed to pushing lower-cost health insurance options with higher deductibles and medical savings accounts.

Premium increases also figure into projections to bridge the gap, but specifics remain unclear.